Fabián Pérez is the Argentine artist who this Monday gave Javier Milei a work of art in which the President appears personified as Napoleon. The painting had gone viral a few weeks ago and the delivery was made in the United States, during the president’s tour.
Born in the Buenos Aires town of Bellmade inferior in Villa Dalmine throughout his childhood and adolescence, but he left football at the age of the fifth division due to the death of his parents. A few years later, he ventured into the artistic world, which allowed him to meet personalities of the caliber of Diego Maradona and Pope Francis.
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The last of his portraits was one of the most viral he did in his entire life: he decided to paint on the canvas the image of Javier Milei in the figure of Napoleona work that had a huge impact on social networks.
Last week, in an interview with TN, Pérez had assured that he was “very aware of what is happening in Argentina,” despite having emigrated from the country more than 30 years ago. “I always try to listen as much as I can, now it’s much easier,” he said.
The artist explained that the inspiration to carry out the idea came from the premiere of the film Napoleon and because that particular image of the French leader was all over the streets of Hollywood.
“It seemed great to me because it was super well-known and it seemed appropriate to portray him in a moment of truce, where The guy was trying to fight this whole system, against this caste that he says, but sitting down, taking a breath,” he said.
The painting by Javier Milei that Fabián Pérez created and generated a revolution on social networks. (Photo: TN)
Fabián took naturally the viralization of the work and the thousands of comments he received, both negative and positive: “The truth was that it had a lot of impact, many comments for and against, obviously. The people who like Milei and liked the painting, the people who are against it criticized it a lot and it seems barbaric to me, it seems good to me that people express themselves and say what they want. “Everyone has the right to choose and have their opinion.”
Milei’s response did not take long to arrive and a meeting was pending. “He told me that he really liked the painting. We will stay in touch to see if a delivery can be made in the short time.” Finally, that delivery took place this Monday, in the middle of the president’s tour of the United States.
Who is the Argentine artist who painted Javier Milei as Napoleon and gave him the work in the United States
Born in the Buenos Aires town of Bellmade inferior in Villa Dalmine throughout his childhood and adolescence, but he left soccer at the age of fifth grade due to the death of his parents. A few years later, an artistic world opened up to him that allowed him to meet personalities of the caliber of Diego Maradona or Pope Francis.
A trip to Europe motivated by his teacher karate – a discipline that began once he left football – allowed him to find in art a motivation similar to that generated by football when he was a child.
“When I arrived in Italy I was drawing at dawn and my teacher, who had seen my drawings, told me ‘it seems you have an incredible talent and it would be good if you explored it a little more, developed it,'” he said in an interview with TN Some days ago.
The incredible story of Fabián Pérez: he was a goalkeeper during promotion, he changed his life for art, he made a painting of his idol and dreams of reaching Lionel Messi. (Photo: TN)
Little by little they began to pay him for his works and he gained recognition in the European art world, until he decided to emigrate to the United States to continue down that path.
“My boom really was when I came to the United States. After a year and a half or two, I began to have enough paintings to make a sample and that was when I was able to experience painting 100%.”
As the years went by and with the advent of social media, Pérez decided to start publishing some of his works of art. Quickly his portraits had a full impact on the public and that prompted him to paint historical figures of sport, cinema and culture.
Fabián Pérez and Pope Francis in one of the most emblematic paintings of his work Living Legends. (Photo: TN)
“The idea of painting players and celebrities is a series I’m doing called Living Legends (Living legends). It is to honor in life all these people who were so influential in our lives, whether when they were young or right now,” he explained.
The first contact he had was with Fillol Duck, his greatest childhood idol and one of his references throughout his entire life. Through recognition by the Argentine Football Association (AFA), he gave him the painting and the world champion thanked him on Instagram.
Then the biggest celebrities from around the world began to parade: Diego Armando Maradona, Ángel Di María, Kun Agüero, Pep Guardiola, Mike Tyson, Pope Francis. The pending account for him continues to be Lionel Messi.
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“I never met Messi, unfortunately, but I already worked two or three times on different projects with him.with his foundation for children,” he told TN.
In that sense, he acknowledged that his hope of meeting Messi is tied to what he represents in his family: “I hope for myself, but above all for my children who love and idolize him., me too. They “They only live thinking about what Messi does.”.
“It is incredible what this human being moves. The good he does for the sport and for the kids, not only for what he does on the field but as a human being. I hope my children always have an example like Leo,” he concluded.
